I was a television addict as a kid…OK I AM a television addict! TV is my preferred way of getting a dopamine boost. I had a particular affection for the family oriented shows that were popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best and The Donna Reed Show were staples in my video diet in my early years. But I especially liked the show which featured three sons of a widowed Father, better known as “My Three Sons”. Part of the attraction was that I was one of three boys in my family so I had a bit of a relationship with the cast. The three sons featured Mike, the eldest, Robbie and Chip Douglas. The strength of the show, in my opinion, was how their Father, Steve Douglas (played by Fred McMurray), doled out advice in guiding his sons along their paths in life. The show took a turn when Mike got married and was written off the show. In order to keep the original concept of THREE sons, the family adopted Chip’s best friend, Ernie. It was strange for regular fans of the show, and to the TV family as well, to have Ernie as one of the Douglas crew. But over time the bespeckled Ernie became just as much part of the family as was the rest of the biological Douglas clan.
When researching this reflection I was surprised to learn of the many famous people who were adopted. Babe Ruth, Steve Jobs, Eleanor Roosevelt and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. Based on the success these people achieved in their lives, I would suspect that, overall, they were as much accepted into their adoptive families as was Ernie welcomed into the Douglas family. But I would also guess that there have been many cases where the transition into the blending of a family does not go as smoothly. Routines and relationships become disrupted. And I would also suspect that, at times, jealousy rears its ugly head as the established family members look with envy on the newcomer receiving attention from THEIR parents and relatives. An instinctual defense of their “rightful” place as the offspring and inheritors of what had been set aside for them.
And in a sense, this is what Paul and Barnabas walked into when they entered the synagogue in Antioch on the Sabbath. Their words must have rang true to the populace because Luke tells us in Acts that the following week after their arrival in town, the synagogue was full. In fact, Scripture says that almost the whole city turned out to hear what the two disciples had to say. And many of those attending were Gentiles. The response of the Jews of the city to this crowd?
“When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.“
Rather than being moved by these outsiders finding God’s word through Paul and Barnabas, they instead tried to silence and discredit what they had to share. They were forced out of the city as many of the populace were coerced into hurling insults and condemnation at them. Thus becoming an obstacle to the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Kingdom, the Family, of God. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out against them:
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.“
Now it is very important to recognize that not all the Jews of the time rejected the Words of Jesus and of his Apostles. In fact, every single one of Jesus’ early followers were Jews. And in most cases, they were devout Jews. They never saw themselves as rejecting their faith but rather believed that their acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, as the Messiah, was in line with Jewish teaching. What the Torah and the prophets wrote about. While they were, at first, reluctant to include and associate with the Gentiles, Paul’s work and witness helped them realize that Christ came for ALL. Not just for God’s Chosen People.
So where does that leave us today. Who are we in relation to God’s Chosen People. There continues to be during our time the conversion of Jews to Christianity (though many of these would say that they have not converted but merely are following the prophesies regarding the coming of the Messiah), as well as those who remain committed to the teachings of the Torah and the Rabbis. The Chosen People, the Israelites/Hebrews/Jews were picked by God to carry the message of His salvation plan to the world in preparation for the coming of Jesus as the Messiah. In a sense, the Jews who performed that mission, and the Jews of today, are the biological arm of God’s people in the Kingdom. The original family of God, if you will.
And in following this line of reasoning we, as the Gentiles of today, are the adopted children of God’s Chosen people. Grafted onto the trunk of those who He freed from the hands of Pharoah and led out of Egypt, led into the Promised land and spread the word about the one true God to the people of Canaan. And we have carried that mission on through the aid of the teachings, death and resurrection of Christ.
But like all blended families, some who are adopted are welcomed with open arms and some are welcomed with suspicion and rejection. To use a Brady Bunch analogy: Marcia was not always a fan of Greg. Bobbie was jealous of Cindy at times. And Jan? Well, Jan was actually perfect in my opinion. The point being, that in spite of early mistrust and animosity we can come together as a family for the good of God’s Kingdom. Whether Jew or Greek. Catholic or Protestant. Whether we are part of the “in crowd” of our parishes or someone on the margins looking to find a place for themselves. One Bread, One Body. One Lord of All. Gentile or Jew. Servant or Free. Woman or Man. Or adopted. We are all Children of God.
